When Your Spacecraft Just...Disappear

[OrbitsR4Sissies]

I'm not a KSP veteran but have had enough experience since I began playing in June to understand the game mechanics, especially about how some local ship debris may be cleaned up by the game.

Running KSP 1.5.1, a new install, on MacOS. The mods are simple:

• Kerbal Engineer Redux
• Docking Port Alignment Indicator
• Trajectories
• Kerbal Alarm Clock

I had a small ion-powered probe, still attached to a chemical pusher stage, that was working on the Duna 3 Challenge, making a Mun and Mimmus flyby before going to Duna. Without a decent transfer window, I believe I parked the probe in an elliptical orbit around Kerbin, well outside the Mun's SOI.

As part of a contract, I had placed a relay around Duna in a generally circular orbit at some 40 degrees inclination.

Time has gone by (perhaps 20 game days). I cannot find the Duna relay at all (which came to Duna with a rover, still OK on the surface). The Duna 3 challenge probe is completely missing, with only its pusher stage, marked as debris, in Kerbin orbit.

I've read some older threads for a few unfortunate folks where this has happened. The only technical change was that my 1.5.1 MacOS installation began with a copy of my 1.4.5 Windows save games (my iMac dual-boots Windows 7 and so I tried MacOS to see if performance improves a bit).

Not worried about the loss of the vehicles (I can just spawn them back if absolutely necessary to continue my game), but wanted to know of other's experience and why this sometimes happens.

[bonyetty]

Could Ike have got it? Ike has a large SOI and the the orbit lines only show a SOI change for the current orbit. And if you haven’t already, check for it’s listing in the tracking station as the map view can sometimes make a craft difficult to see at some zooms. 

[OrbitsR4Sissies]

1 hour ago, bonyetty said:

Could Ike have got it? Ike has a large SOI and the the orbit lines only show a SOI change for the current orbit. And if you haven’t already, check for it’s listing in the tracking station as the map view can sometimes make a craft difficult to see at some zooms. 

Ike...that thing's like an overbearing big brother that keeps suitors from visiting its big, redheaded sister. 

The Tracking Station should show that relay's name, no matter where it is, so long as it still existed. Nothing.

There's a chance that Ike grabbed it. However, its orbit was well within Duna's SOI and pretty highly inclined. At least that one was explainable. But the probe is still weird.

Edited October 24, 2018 by OrbitsR4Sissies

[Geonovast]

Are all the viewing options turn on in your tracking station?

[OrbitsR4Sissies]

37 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

Are all the viewing options turn on in your tracking station?

Yes. I have a love-hate relationship with that tool, but I lit up everything to find any trace of them, even it it was a little stack separator or something.